Not a cakewalk indeed

Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. (Philippians 2:12-13)

Whoever told you that this Christian lifestyle was going to be a cakewalk was pulling the wool over your eyes! It is easier at first, but at some point, it actually gets a bit harder to continue in our growth. It is not always easy following the instructions laid out for us in God's Word, maybe because we see so many others just observing those words when it feels good to them and ignoring them at other times. Obedience is definitely not situational, and it is not a thing we 'show off' when others are watching and ignore when they are not. 

Work hard to show the results of your salvation. That very statement suggests there may be more than a bit of work involved in making different choices in life. Lifestyle changes are hard, but when they begin with a proper respect for God's authority in our lives, the changes get easier over time. God's instructions are based on his authority, so we cannot ignore them and expect lifestyle changes. We actually learn more each time we 'mull over' his instruction to us. 

God works 'in us' to give us the desire to live by his commands. Whatever it is that pleases our 'self-man' is in direction opposition to what it is that pleases our new nature in Christ Jesus. The power to live right and to make right choices comes from God, but our self-man would 'override' all the right choices God desires if all we used was our own feeble 'willpower'. To be honest here, our 'willpower' is really not very 'powerful' at all. As we slow life down a bit, we might actually realize that we have been trying to change our actions by our own willpower and not tapping into the strength and ability that comes when we heed the instruction God gives in his Word.

I hesitate to say something that is obvious, but obedience is learned behavior. Just as sinfulness became a learned behavior, righteousness only overrides that 'poor behavior' when we repeat those instructions over and over again. If you haven't figured it out yet, it isn't always our 'self-man' that is choosing the right behavior. At times, it is the Spirit of God working against our self-will that is helping us make those better choices. Just sayin!

I ain't no saint!

Some try to live like saints - others know just how much of an impossibility sainthood really is! The good news is that God can make somebodies out of nobodies - he can actually make saints out of sinners! We all bear many names such as son, daughter, mother, father, worker, foreman, leader, and even child. None of these names really defines us as God would have us defined, though. We are each individually defined by the 'new name' he writes upon our hearts the moment we say "yes" to Jesus. That new name doesn't make us who we are in Christ Jesus - it is given because of what God has done in us.

We call Abraham “father” not because he got God’s attention by living like a saint, but because God made something out of Abraham when he was a nobody. Isn’t that what we’ve always read in Scripture, God saying to Abraham, “I set you up as father of many peoples”? Abraham was first named “father” and then became a father because he dared to trust God to do what only God could do: raise the dead to life, with a word make something out of nothing. When everything was hopeless, Abraham believed anyway, deciding to live not on the basis of what he saw he couldn’t do but on what God said he would do. And so he was made father of a multitude of peoples. God himself said to him, “You’re going to have a big family, Abraham!” (Romans 4:17-18 MSG)

We can all associate with being 'nobody' at times. It is like we blend into the woodwork almost - not really noticed, but there nonetheless. There are also times when we try to shine like the glowing light, only to find we cast shadows too large to disguise or hide no matter how 'bright' our light shines. We all go through phases of living according to what we can do, forgetting all the while that God is desiring for us to live according to what he has done and what he continues to do!

We don't live like saints very often - at least I don't, so I imagine there are others who might be honest and admit it, too. We might want to be 'saint-like', but all our actions just don't amount to much. We are incapable of being saints until we are made saints by the grace of God. Abraham hit the nail on the head by choosing not to live on the basis of what he couldn't do. Too many of us refuse to admit we cannot do life on our own - we are incapable of true change on our own. Once we admit we are incapable - God opens the doors to capabilities beyond our abilities!

God says he will make us white as pure driven snow - we don't get pure by our actions, but by the drive of his Spirit within us. God says he will give us a new name - not because we really desire one, but because he knows we need our lives 'redefined'. God says there are possibilities we won't ever accomplish on our own - so he gives us the abilities to accomplish great things, not in our own power, but through the grace and power that comes by his hand.

There is no greater gift we receive than to first acknowledge we are incapable of living saint-like lives and then see how God begins to make us saintly in our appearance, attitude, and actions. It is a grace-thing, pure and simple. That which we cannot do ourselves is best left in the hands of the only one capable of doing it anyway! Just sayin!

We love us

There are times when it helps us to have a list of "do" and "don't" actions and attitudes. Lists help us to organize thought and see things which "fit together" in a certain way.  Yet if we just have "lists" of the "do this" and "don't do this" actions and attitudes in life, we sometimes miss the reason behind those things - they become nothing more than rote to us and we just act one way or refrain from acting another because it is "on the list".  If we approach God's practical instructions about how we are to live our lives in this same manner, we will find the scriptures impractical, hard to understand, and even harder to "live out".  One of the most practical things I find outlined in scripture is how much this "list making" and "rule keeping" can steer us wrong.  You see, we love ourselves way too much to actually enjoy being told to deny ourselves.  We honor ourselves way too much to put another's needs before our own.  It isn't until Jesus takes over the control of our lives that we begin to see ourselves as a little less "lovely" and the needs of another as a little more "important" than our own!  We need Jesus - not lists!

Sinners don’t respect God; sin is all they think about. They like themselves too much to hate their own sins or even to see them. They tell deceitful lies, and they don’t have the sense to live right. Those people stay awake, thinking up mischief, and they follow the wrong road, refusing to turn from sin. (Psalm 36:1-4 CEV)

The scripture is quite plain:  Sin is all a sinner thinks about.  Why?  Sinners are protective of themselves - they think of themselves first, their needs as priority, and their sin as justifiable.  So, no matter what the list might be, there will always be a rational reason to deny the validity of the list!  Sinners (such as you and I) really don't live by the list - because if there is something on the list which we are to refrain from and we really, really want to do it, we usually find a way of justifying why we can do it just this one time.  Problem is, this one time opens the door for the next time!  Maybe this is why just living by the "list" is not the best way to live our lives!

Yes, the "list" is important - scripture can be thought of as a list of practical instruction to show us certain actions and attitudes which are to avoided or embraced.  Living by the list is "good medicine", so to speak, but the list alone is nothing apart from something which changes the heart behind the actions and attitudes.  The only means of a changed heart it to have it changed - our hardened and calloused heart made new by the touch of God.  As long as we don't make a place for God in our lives, all we think about is the various ways we can protect ourselves - our needs, our wishes, our freedoms.  We have the "me", "me", "me" syndrome.  If it pleases "me" - it is on the good side of the list.  If it doesn't bring "me" pleasure - it is on the bad side of the list.

The issue with living by the list is the simple truth - we cannot see our own sin!  If you have ever tried to talk with someone else about their issues - you know, the ones you plainly see but they just don't - then you know the tables can turn on you in just a matter of minutes! When we point out the faults of others, not even aware these same faults (and worse) are part of our own lives, we kind of tick people off.  Why?  They see us as hypocritical.  It is like saying we don't appreciate how much someone else gossips about this or that, all while we are gossiping to someone else about them!

There is much to be gleaned from our passage today.  First, we cannot see our own sin as long as we focus on ourselves.  We don't have an accurate image or standard to judge ourselves against.  As long as the only comparison we make of ourselves is against ourselves or perhaps even another sinner, we don't make accurate comparisons!  We need an image or standard "higher" or "better" than us.  This is why we need Jesus in the middle!  When we see ourselves in light of Jesus, we seldom look beyond Jesus to criticize another!  If we get in the habit of running our actions and attitudes through the "filter" of what it is we see when we look upon Jesus, we just don't have much cause to look at another with any kind of critical spirit at all!

Second, we often cannot see our own sin because we are so "in tune" with our sin as the "norm" of our lives.  We need an accurate reflection - something which will help us to recognize our sinfulness.  To this end, God has provided several things to help us:  Scripture, the Holy Spirit, Jesus resident within, and of course, our own conscience.  Notice I placed our own conscience at the end.  We need to allow all the other "filters" to guide us OVER and ABOVE our own conscience.  If we are so inclined to sin, we will justify our sin even in our own conscience!  So, relying upon this alone is not enough - we need the other "filters" to assist us to make life change.

Last, as long as we deny sin, we cannot move beyond it.  When we deny anything, we say it doesn't exist - it doesn't give any problems, it does not impair us in any way.  The truth is, our sin does give us problems, we just blame them on other factors or people.  Our sin does impair us, we just don't see our impairment as significant.  We justify our sin.  So, we need help moving beyond justifying sin in our lives.  To this end, we are encouraged to have a regular intake of the scriptures - for truth sets us free.  We are admonished to turn from what gives us problems and turn toward a new way of living - for without an about-face, we remain steadily focused on what gives us the greatest issues in life!  Just sayin!

Christ IN you - the hope of GLORY

If you have ever played that little game known as "telephone", you know how convoluted the message given by the first person can become by the time it reaches the last person in the line.  The first person whispers the message into the ear of the one right next to them, then that one passes it along in similar fashion to the next, and so on.  By the end, sound alike words get all mixed up and are often replaced, such as banana become bandanna, or rogue become road.  Those tiny differences change the entire message and we usually have a hoot about the final message as it is repeated.  In essence, you might say the person at the end (and those in between) did not receive the complete message.  Really, they did, it just got mixed up because what one person "thought" they heard was not what was said.  This is why it is important for us to take the messages we hear "about" God right to the scripture ourselves to figure out if this is really something he would do, say, etc.  We validate the message heard so we can produce valid actions aligned with that message.

God’s plan was to make me a servant of his church and to send me to preach his complete message to you.  For ages and ages this message was kept secret from everyone, but now it has been explained to God’s people.  God did this because he wanted you Gentiles to understand his wonderful and glorious mystery. And the mystery is that Christ lives in you, and he is your hope of sharing in God’s glory. We announce the message about Christ, and we use all our wisdom to warn and teach everyone, so that all of Christ’s followers will grow and become mature.  That’s why I work so hard and use the mighty power he gives me.  (Colossians 1:25-29 CEV)

God doesn't just send us "messengers" with the Word of God as the sole means by which we will embrace and walk in his ways.  In fact, he uses these messengers to bring us "some" enlightenment, but the greatest enlightenment we can have is when we come into that place of light ourselves.  I have often talked about the importance of each of us getting familiar with what is in the scriptures ourselves.  Why?  Primarily so we can be blessed by the goodness in there, but also so we can be kept safe from the teaching which veers from actual truth.  In times past, the scripture portions were kept in special places, stored away from the common eye simply because it could not be reproduced in mass quantity and it was produced on papyrus or the like.  This required "teachers" or "rabbis" to expound upon the content of the scripture after reading the passages to the public in attendance "at church" that day.  As Christ came on the scene, things began to change, though.  His intent was for all men to become familiar with the "good news" - the message of the gospel.

His purpose was to reveal the truths of scripture, in living form, so all mankind, not just a select few, could become acquainted with the truths of God's goodness, his love for all mankind, and his plan of salvation / restoration.  In turn, we were asked to continue this message (not in "telephone" fashion, though), allowing those within our "circles" of influence to also become acquainted with the truths of his goodness, grace, and love.  The mystery: God lives in us through the work of Christ Jesus.  Since he lives in us, we share in his glory.  Now, that is good news, isn't it?  We no longer have live life second-hand, through the teachings of another, but can become personally acquainted with God's grace through the work of Christ within us.

The purpose of sharing God's message is twofold:  1) So others may come to know the good news of God's plan of salvation; and 2) So we may grow in grace and become mature believers.  Hopefully, when I share truth with you, you don't trust it at face value.  You should explore the scriptures for yourself - asking God to show you if the truth I teach aligns with the principles taught there.  If not, reject it.  Run from it!  If it does, accept it.  Run to it!  This has been the plan since the beginning of the New Testament Church - God prepares individuals to help spread the gospel message - the message of GRACE, LOVE, and RESTORATION.  In turn, those who receive this message become messengers of this truth through changed lives, maturing in God's grace and love until others see the revelation of Christ IN you!

November 9, 1972 - the day I said "yes" to Jesus in my life.  That day, I asked God for a scripture to hold onto - he pointed me to this passage, calling out verse 27.  Why?  My life was going in the wrong direction and I knew without a real "intervention" of some sort, I would be swept up in actions which were going to produce nothing but sorrow in my life.  I needed hope and God directed me toward the hope I have held tight to all these years - Christ IN me is the hope of HIS glory shining through!  It is the hope of my life remaining on course, kept from the path which would only bring destruction and heartache. Nothing else could do the same for me - nothing else could produce the results his presence has produced.  The same is true for you - if you will embrace this message of hope.  God's grace awaits those who will seek it!  This is the message - this is the truth.  Just sayin!

Principle 20: A house is not a home until...

We've all probably heard a saying about it taking a special person to make a house a home, or lots of love to make a house into a  home, right?  This is quite true, as houses are nothing without those who live within them.  Those who dwell within actually create the "culture" of the home - they give a unique atmosphere to the home environment.  The one who dwells within the walls of the house has a special way of making that house their own - by decorating it as they like, opening it to visitors, and often creating a family within those walls.  Now, think about that a little differently - your body as a house of sorts. Your body houses the Spirit of God and as such, the atmosphere of your life changes, does it not?  The one who "dwells within" the house makes a difference in the "culture" or atmosphere of the "house".  

A house is built by wisdom and becomes strong through good sense. Through knowledge its rooms are filled with all sorts of precious riches and valuables. (Proverbs 24:3-4 NIV)

The very atmosphere of our lives changes the moment the Spirit of God "indwells" us.  The one who takes up "residence" within begins to affect the condition of the "house".  He sets about to begin the subtle "redesign" of our interior by first bringing order to the inner workings of our lives.  This happens when he begins to settle our emotions, sort out our mind's constant musings, and then reorder our choices.  As such, he becomes integral to the "culture" of our inner being.  We begin to see the affects of his "touch" by the evidence of these things.  What once was pretty beat up and worn out begins to take on new life and fresh purpose.

God's Spirit brings into our lives much wisdom - through helping us to take knowledge we receive and turning it into knowledge we put into repeated and reliable practice in our lives.  In time, he helps us to think differently about the "space" of our lives and begins to fill in the gaps which exist, unclutter the places which have become too "busy" with stuff which doesn't matter, and to rearrange things so we develop a sense of ease with who we are as individuals loved and cherished by God himself.  As a result of the work within, there becomes evidence of "remodel" which spills over the outside. Just as a home owner may begin on the inside to make their "space" their own, they will also begin to focus on making the outside have a little "curb" appeal.  Why?  They want the work done on the inside to begin to be reflected to those who can only see someone "new" has taken up residence on the inside.

Now, this passage deals a lot with the culture we allow to be established in our homes and with our families.  Yet, the culture of a family begins with the individual.  The one who is wise will invite the work of the Spirit of God in their lives because they recognize the importance of creating the right "culture" within before they try to work the "culture" into the whole.  As the one life is affected, the spill-over affect begins to occur in the lives of those who also dwell within the home.  God doesn't just clean us up to make us "clean", but to begin to affect the "atmosphere" of those around us.  As life change occurs, life choices change and this very change in focus or intent has a way of affecting the atmosphere of others.  So, if we want our lives to be set in order and to reflect a different culture, or atmosphere, than we might have been reflecting in the past, we just need to begin by inviting Jesus to become the most important "resident" in our "home".  Just sayin!

Shine on

Who do you see when you look in the mirror?  Most of us would say we see a reflection of ourselves.  Looking back at us is the man or woman we have become, complete with all the wrinkles, gray hairs, blemishes, cellulite, and the like.  Rarely does anyone answer, "I see Christ".  Why?  I am not sure we actually see Christ because we only see the "dullness" of this earthen vessel and his brightness is just beneath the surface, struggling to get out!  Paul puts it this way:

If you only look at us, you might well miss the brightness. We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives. That’s to prevent anyone from confusing God’s incomparable power with us. As it is, there’s not much chance of that. You know for yourselves that we’re not much to look at. We’ve been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we’re not demoralized; we’re not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do; we’ve been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn’t left our side; we’ve been thrown down, but we haven’t broken. What they did to Jesus, they do to us—trial and torture, mockery and murder; what Jesus did among them, he does in us—he lives! Our lives are at constant risk for Jesus’ sake, which makes Jesus’ life all the more evident in us. While we’re going through the worst, you’re getting in on the best!  (2 Corinthians 4:7-12 MSG)

We are "unadorned clay pots" - we live ordinary lives, nothing too spectacular to talk about, and really don't display all the glory which dwells within us all too well until...

- We are surrounded and battered by trials, for it is then we perfectly see Christ in us when we are not "demoralized" by those trials.  In other words, the very fact we are not thrown into a tailspin of confusion and chaotic disorder in our lives when these trials come our way is a reflection of the light of Christ's presence within us.  

- We are unsure of how to proceed, for it is then we have perfect knowledge of how God would have us step forward.  For those who take the first step forward with a little trepidation, take heart.  Until you gain the trust of God being with you with each step, the first one will always be the hardest!  Yet, in the stepping forward, we reveal much about Christ within us - making each step secure and firm.

- We are under the remarkably difficult pressures of spiritual battle, for it is there Christ's strength is revealed.  In the midst of battle, it may appear we are being "terrorized" - intimidated, overcome with overmastering fear - but Christ's presence becomes so evident when what "should" produce debilitating fear only spurs us on and helps us dig in a little deeper.

- We find ourselves at our lowest point, for is then Christ is able to pull us up, dust us off, and reveal to the world our "unbroken" state of being whole in him.  Sure, he looks for us to have a "broken and contrite heart", but when the weight of this world would seek to shove us down, he shines through in how quickly we actually get back up!

So, as you can see, there is much evidence of Christ's presence within us - maybe not so evident when we look in the mirror - but perfectly evident in the way we deal with life.  I love what Paul says next, "...what Jesus did among them, he does in us - he lives!"  Chew on that one a bit.  Jesus walked the face of this earth and was faced with all kinds of not so good pressures - rejected by many, reputation drug through the mud, accused falsely, measured by unrealistic standards, doubted even when telling the truth.  Yet, in those times, he shined!  What he did among them, he now does in us!  His "life" gives us "light".  

Most importantly, as Paul puts it, while we are going through the worst, we are getting in on the best!  The image in the mirror is actually changing for the better!  The pressures actually produce something of beauty and clarity in us - much like a diamond is made "under pressure".  If you think life is tough right now, it probably is!  If you think nothing of value will come of it, you are definitely wrong - for it is right where you find yourself today that Christ is free to bring forth more light in your life!

We probably don't shine as brightly as some, nor as bright as we'd like, but Christ in us assures us we shine on!  Just sayin!

Playing it God's Way!

Be good to your servant, God; be as good as your Word. Train me in good common sense; I'm thoroughly committed to living your way. Before I learned to answer you, I wandered all over the place, but now I'm in step with your Word.    You are good, and the source of good; train me in your goodness. 

(Psalm 119:65-68 The Message)

Have you ever known someone with all the book learning in the world, but they simply lacked good common sense?  Doesn't it amaze you sometimes how much we can amass in "knowledge" and still lack the "skill" to do some of the stuff we need to do?  Simply put, common sense is the "sound" practical judgment that is independent of any of the specialized knowledge we might amass through training.  In some fields of human psychology, they might say this is the "native" intelligence that someone possesses.

Our psalmist reminds us that getting the Word "into" us is great!  We cannot live without it.  Yet, it is not in the "amount" of intake that we are made wise!  It is in the "asking" for the intake to be made "good common sense" that wisdom begins to take form.  What we need is for "soundness" in our judgment - to see things from a practical, day-to-day perspective, in such a way that we are making wise choices.  We try to make this Christian walk kind of "ethereal" instead of very "practical".  The fact is that God deals in the "practical", not in the ethereal!

Ethereal things are really kind of "airy", "fluffy", and hard to nail down.  God wants us to fully grasp his truths, learn to walk with them as guidance for our daily decisions, and to make better decisions because we understand what it is we are doing with what it is that God has given us.  You might have heard the saying, "That person is so heavenly-minded they are absolutely no earthly good!"  This points out that we can get so "deep" that we lose the ability to make God's Word practical in our lives.

Practical truth is learned from experience - we put into practice what we are learning.  We actually USE what we are taking in.  Ethereal truth is good - practical truth is applicable!  We allow God to help us understand how it is put into practice - impacting our decisions / choices.  When we say we have "learned" truth through experience, we are probably referring to the idea of having put good judgment into action in some life circumstance.  For example, we might be feeling a little "goaded" into speaking some unkind words in the midst of a little heated discussion - when we are reminded of the idea of returning good for evil as is outlined in many passages in scripture, we might stop short of speaking those words.  We are making "learning" practical.

God's goal in us studying the Word is that it might be made "practical" to us.  If you hadn't guessed, practical is from the root from which we derive our word "practice".  Therefore, practical truth is practiced truth!  If you have ever been in a sport, or played an instrument, you know one of the most important parts of becoming "proficient" in your sport or instrument is in the "practice".  It takes hours of practice to throw a good pitch, or to play a chorus without flaw. It takes just as long for us to become "practiced" in God's Word.  We want "instant" - but God says it comes in the consistency, not in the "instant-cy"!  (I know that is not a word - I made it up!)

Not sure what you might be "practicing" today, but if you are consistently allowing God's Word to impact your experience, you are practicing the right stuff!  The sweetness of the Word comes in the practicality of it when it is applied!  Gotta love it!

The true you

^3-4You didn't think, did you, that just by pointing your finger at others you would distract God from seeing all your misdoings and from coming down on you hard? Or did you think that because he's such a nice God, he'd let you off the hook? Better think this one through from the beginning. God is kind, but he's not soft. In kindness he takes us firmly by the hand and leads us into a radical life-change.

(Romans 2:3-4)

An amazing truth about God is how immensely patient he is with his children.  He gives us space - to make our own choices.  He gives us time - to come to our own conclusions.  He gives us these things because he knows that in order to have our heart, he must have it yielded willingly.  God is infinitely patient in his waiting for us to turn from our sin - but he will not wait forever.  Sometimes, he gives us gentle nudges to cause us to see our sin.  When he does, remember that it is out of his immense love for us that he has done so.

We often want to take the "focus" off of us by putting it on someone else - pointing out their faults.  It is like we believe that by pointing out the other person's faults, no one will ever see ours, including God!  Silly us!  In fact, look at what another criticizes in another on a frequent basis and you will usually have a good idea of what the one doing the criticizing is struggling with, too!

Look at this passage again - it is not a subtle walk with God that we are called to live out.  It is a "radical" life-change.  These three words say it all!

• Radical - getting at the root of things.  This word carries the idea of getting at the fundamental stuff - what's really at the core of our being.  When God goes for the "root", he is expecting something to be extremely different in the end.  The "root" of something gives it both its stability and its system for being nurtured.  If the "root" is wrong - the fruit will be, as well.
• Life - looking at what is produced.  This word carries the idea of growth - th ability to adapt when moved upon by a force greater than ourselves.  God focuses on the root because he hopes to affect the fruit.  He is concerned with our growth.  His desire is that we no longer "adapt" to the world around us, but that we "adapt" to his will, his direction, and his love for us.  In so doing, he really is "transplanting" us from infertile, diseased soil into the nutrient rich soil of his grace.  There is no better place to take root.
• Change - moving from what we were to what we would become if we were left to our own devices.  God is not as concerned about what we have the "ability" to do as in helping us realize that ability in him.  His greatest goal is to make our "form" or "nature" just like his son's.  To do this, he removes the covering we place over our sin in an attempt to hide it from him and others.  In so doing, the exposure allows him to transform what has been hidden into something that can actually be a display of his grace.

So, it is to this radical life-change that God calls us today.  It is easier to cover up our sin than it is to face it - but no amount of cover-up will change what is produced.  The "cover-up" is over!  It is time to allow the Lord to see the "true" you!  He has something divine he desires to produce...let him at it!